IRISH DISTILLERS TAKES TOP HONOURS IN JIM MURRAY’S WHISKY BIBLE 2014 

Jameson Original revealed as ‘Top Irish Blend’ & Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength is named ‘Irish Whiskey of the Year’ and ‘Irish Pot Still of the Year’

Jameson Original has been crowned ‘Irish Blend of the Year’ for the third year running in the recently-released 2014 edition of Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

Recognising the consistent, crafted quality and smooth taste which has made the whiskey a worldwide favourite, Murray gave Jameson Original an impressive 95/100 points, remarking that he was “blown away as usual” and that “this very special whiskey remains in truly wondrous form”.

In further good news for Irish Distillers, Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength whiskey was once again named both ‘Irish Whiskey of the Year’ and ‘Irish Pot Still of the Year’, with a record score for an Irish whiskey of 97/100 points, reinforcing Irish Distillers’ reputation for crafted excellence across all areas of the Irish Whiskey category. Irish Distillers’ Midleton 1991 Single Cask No. 48750 was Jim Murray’s next highest-scoring Irish whiskey, with 96.5 points.

Murray was also effusive in his praise for the new-strength Powers Gold Label 43.2%, which launched in the USA in September this year, complementing its powerful “big Irish pot still hardness” and stating that it’s balance was “all to do with the extra pot still which here acts as backbone and muscle.”

PADDY Centenary Edition, a pure pot still limited edition which was released in September to commemorate 100 years of the PADDY brand, was also scored highly, achieving 93 points.

Brian Nation, Irish Distiller’s Master Distiller, commented: “We’re over the moon that so many of our whiskeys have been recognized for their high quality by Jim Murray. Plaudits like this mean a lot to all of us at the Midleton Distillery; we take great pride in ensuring the consistency and high standards that whiskey fans have come to expect from our whiskeys, so to receive this recognition from such an eminent figure in the whiskey world as Jim Murray is a great honour.”

The success in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible follows a momentous year for Irish Distillers, which saw the company unveil a host of new initiatives – including its new Garden Stillhouse and the first-ever Irish Whiskey Academy – as it aims to continue the Irish whiskey category’s consistently strong growth.

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible Award Wins for Irish Distillers:

Jameson – 95 points

Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel – 91.5 points

Jameson Gold Reserve – 88 Points

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve 2007 – 96 points

Jameson Signature Reserve – 93 points

Jameson 18 Year Old Limited Reserve – 91 points 

Midleton Single Pot Still Cask 1991 – 96.5 points

Midleton Single Pot Still Single Cask 1994 – 93 points

Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy – 94 points

Paddy Centenary Edition – 93 points

Powers John’s Lane Release Aged 12 Years – 91 points

Powers Signature Release – 91 points

Redbreast 12 Year Old – 89 points

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength batch1/11– 96 points

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength batch1/12 – 97 points

Redbreast Aged 15 Years bottle 12 – 96 points

Green Spot – 94.5 points

Yellow Spot Aged 12 Years – 88.5 points 

About Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard

Irish Distillers Group was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between Irish whiskey distillers, John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son and the Cork Distillery Company. In an attempt to reverse the decline in Irish whiskey sales, the board of directors decided to close the existing distilleries in Cork and Dublin, and to consolidate production at a new purpose-built facility.

A site alongside the existing distillery in Midleton, Co. Cork was chosen as the location for the new distillery, as there was no room for expansion in Dublin. Both the Old Jameson Distillery and the Old Midleton Distillery currently operate as visitor centres attracting over 330,000 visitors annually. Following an early unsolicited takeover offer and one of the most protracted battles in Irish corporate history made by GrandMet, Allied-Lyons and Guinness, Irish Distillers was taken over by Pernod Ricard in June 1988 with the support of the management and employees.  

Irish whiskey brands within the Irish Distillers’ portfolio include Jameson, Paddy and Powers, with Single Pot Still brands, Green Spot, Yellow Spot, Redbreast and the much-revered Midleton, which includes prestigious expressions such as Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy and Midleton Very Rare.